Improving Traffic Flow at Transfer Roadways On Collector-Distributor Type Expressways JOSEPH M. MC DERMOTT and CHARLES H. MC LEAN Respectively, Graduate Student, Northwestern University, and District Traffic Engineer, Illinois Di vision of Highways •THE Dan Ryan Expressway on Chicago's south side features a 5-mi section of four depressed traveled ways, two in each direction, with a total cross-section of either 12 or 14 traffic lanes. The two inner roadways function as express routes for through traffic; the two outer roadways serve as continuous collector-distributor roads for more localized traffic. Crossover connections from express lanes to local lanes, or vice versa, are provided by 2-lane transfer roadways at three locations for each direc­ tion of travel. Inasmuch as the design feature of continous collector-distributor roadways is a rel­ atively recent development, an analysis of traffic operations at transfer roadways seemed appropriate. An initial operational study at two transfer roadway locations (1) recommended several control measures for improving the efficiency of traffic flow at transfer roadways. This presentation concerns the study of operational characteristics at an express-to-local transfer roadway and compares ''before" and "after" pavement markings. Definitions Certain terms used throughout this paper are defined as follows: Transfer roadway-a high-type crossover connection between express lanes and col- lector-distributor lanes, or vice versa. Express vehicles-vehicles traveling on the express roadway. Transfer vehicles-vehicles using a transfer roadway. Local vehicles-vehicles traveling on the collector-distributor roadway. 63rd St. vehicles-vehicles traveling on the expressway destined for 63rd St. Through vehicles-vehicles destined for points beyond the Chicago Skyway exit. Local lanes-collector-distributor lanes. EXPRESSWAY CHARACTERISTICS Route Description The Dan Ryan Expressway links the Eisenhower Expressway (I- 90) and the Kennedy Expressway (I-94) with the Chicago Skyway (I-94) and the Calumet Expressway (I-90) (Fig. 1). The north terminal of the Dan Ryan Expressway is the Halsted Street inter­ change, the junction of Dan Ryan, Kennedy and Eisenhower Expressways, located about 1 mi west of the Chicago downtown area. This interchange accommodates an average daily traffic of approximately 300,000 vehicles. The Dan Ryan Expressway carries I-90 between this interchange and the Calumet Expressway, 11.5 mi south, and is des­ ignated both 1-90 and 1-94 between this interchange and the Chicago Skyway, 8.0 mi south. The latter section was opened to traffic on December 15, 19 62, and includes 5 mi of continuous collector-distributor roadways at the southern end. As shown in Figure 2, the continuous collector-distributor ( C- D) roadways are used between 27th St. and 65th St. Although through traffic may use either the express road­ ways or the C-D roadways, weaving is minimized and flow is expedited for vehicles on the express roadways. At the north end of this section local (C-D) and express road- Paper sponsored by Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics . 83 ... N -!. ----- Present - --Future N ~,~ O·Z zj~ 0 4 8 :::;_,. az I I I I I Kinger; ! - Tri-State Scale of Miles Highway -- Figure 1 . Chicago area expressways . Southwest Expressway and 'Franklin Street Extent ion 31 st 14 Lanes 33 rd 3-4-4-3 35 th EXPRESS ROADWAYS Pershin 14 Lanes 3-4-4-3 14 Lanes 47 th 4-3-3-4 RAMPS 12 Lanes 51 st 2-4-4-2 Garfield 12 Lanes 57 th STUDY SECTION 2-4-4-2 N 12 Lanes 63 rd 3-3-3-3 10 Lanes 2-3-3-2 ~n Ryan (8 lam) 1-90 Figure 2. Continuous collector-distributor section, Dan Ryan Expressway. 86 ways combine on an 8-lane elevated structure. Connection to the future Southwest Expressway and the Franklin Street Extension is provided near 31st St. At the south end of the 5- mi r oute connection to the Chicago Skyway is pr ovided near 65th St ., beyond which local and express lanes combine to form an 8-la:ne cross -section witb only one traveled way fo r each direction. Thus, the 5- mi continuous C- D roadway section has either 14 or 12 through traffic lanes and connects 8-lane sections at each end. Route Geometrics High-type design standards were applied throughout the construction of the four de­ pressed roadways of the Dan Ryan Expressway. Continuous one-way frontage roads feed and collect ramp traffic to and from the continuous C-D roadways at diamond in­ terchanges spaced approximately at 0.5-mi intervals. Continuity prevails along the route because all ramps adjoin the right-hand side of the C-D roadways. A common acceleration-deceleration lane is used where adjacent ramps handle entering and exiting C-D traffic. The only diverging and merging movements on the expressway not requiring right-hand operations occur at the six transfer roadways, which either leave or enter the local roadway on the left side. Transfer roadways are located for both directions of travel near 45th St., 49th St. and 59th St. All six sites differ either in lane configuration or type of transfer. Figure 2 shows that the cross-section lane configuration changes at each transfer point, inas­ much as one traffic lane is physically "transferred" between roadways. The second lane of a transfer roadway permits optional use of an additional express or local lane at each terminal. An exception occurs at 49th St., however, where the normal cross­ section changes from 14 lanes on the north to 12 lanes on the south via the transfer roadways. All traffic lanes are 12 ft wide and are constructed of continuously reinforced con­ crete pavement. Contrasting shoulders of bituminous material, generally 8 to 10 ft wide, are furnished on both sides of each roadway. A combination gutter and mountable curb separates shoulders from through pavements. Because most of the route has been designated to accommodate a future mass transit median facility, an unusually wide center median, protected by guardrail along both edges, separates directional flow along the route. Express and local roadways ar e separated by a 20-ft shoulder-median bisected by continuous, double-faced, steel, barrier-type guardrail. Throughout the whole expressway, mercury vapor luminaires are provided and directional signs are externally illuminated. Operational Controls Soon after the Dan Ryan Expressway was opened to traffic, operational problems resulted in the imposition of commercial vehicle lane-use restrictions. Trucks are confined to the collector-distributor roadways, where speed limits are 45 mph for cars and buses and 40 mph for trucks. Passenger vehicles on the express roadways are limited to 50 mph, with a posted minimum of 40 mph. STUDY PROCEDURE Although the initial oper ational study (!) was conducted for both transfer roadways at 59th St., pavement ma rking improvements were fully installed only at the southbound site. This presentation, therefore, contains ''before" and "after" findings for the south­ bound express-to-local transfer roadway at 59th St. Study Section Details Figure 3 shows the study area, located approximately 7 mi south of downtown Chicago and 1 mi north of he Chicago Skywa y connection. The total ci·oss- s ection at this site is 12 through traffic lanes and the ave-r age daily tr affic flow is approximately 180,000 vehicles. This tr ansfer r oadway "tr ansfers" one lane of pa ve ment from the express roadway to the local r oadway. Thus , the express roadway is reduced from 4 lanes to 3 lanes and the local roadway is increased from 2 lanes to 3 lanes. Vehicles approach- 87 1500 1 lo 63rd St. Exit Ramp 900' To SS!th St. Entrance llamp l'll0 ' 110• s:;o• -+ 59th St. ~ A I u "7 I I I I I -l - 2 I __l:XPRESS ---• -l- I l..,,..... l ,I. - ~- f I - -.!:.. l"IWiSl'Uk 4 ~ -s I -G ~ •· I I -r-s - - I I I I I I ~ bj 0Vc1pass TRAFP IC == • Co.mer as N ~ . SOUTIWOUN£J Figure 3. Study section, southbound express-to-local transfer roadway at 59th St. ing in the right express lane , therefore, are r equired to transfer; vehicles approaching in the adjacent expr ess lane (second from the r ight) may either transfer or remain on the express roadway. The 1,470-ft study section begins at a normal 48-ft express pavement width and ends at a normal 36-ft local cross-section. Observation was confined within these extremes for transfer vehicles (Secs. A-A and D-D ); express and local traffic were studied in the diverging (Secs. A-A and B-B) and merging (Secs. C-C and D-D) areas terminating at Figure 4. Diverging Terminal of study section with "after" pavement markings . 88 the nose and commencing at the merging end, respectively. Data were obtained from time-lapse films taken simultaneously from both sides of the 59th St. overpass, as shown in Figure 3. Figures 4 and 5 show typical camera views from the overpass positions. For notation purposes, lanes were numbered from left to right at the four check points (A-A, B-B, C-C, and D-D) indicated in Figure 3. Land R denote left or right lane of the transfer roadway. All vehicles were counted in and out of the study section. Examples of typical vehicle traces through the study limits for express, transfer, and local vehicles are 3-2, 4-R-R-5, and 5-6, respectively. Indi victual transfer vehicles were checked outside the study section to determine if they exited at 63rd St. Such a maneuver requires a left-to-right weave within 1,500 ft across local traffic.